On Sunday, August 13, a special celebration in honor of Abbess Moisseia (Boubnoff) was held at Holy Ascension Convent on the Mount of Olives. The day began with Divine Liturgy in the convent cathedral, celebrated by Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan. His Grace was co-served by Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky; head of the Ecclesiastical Mission of the Russian Church Abroad in Jerusalem) and clergy accompanying Bishop Nicholas on his pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

At the Little Entrance, in keeping with the resolution of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Church Abroad, His Grace, Bishop Nicholas, awarded the second jeweled pectoral cross to Abbess Moisseia, former long-time rectress of Holy Ascension Convent.

His Grace addressed the faithful with a sermon dedicated to the memory of the reposed Metropolitan Laurus, who was consecrated to the episcopate on August 13, 1967. A special prayerful commemoration of the distinguished archpastor and prayerful ascetic of the Russian Church Abroad was performed during the service.

Upon completion of Divine Liturgy, Fr. Roman thanked Abbess Moisseia for her fervent service to the sisters, pilgrims, and Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem. A thanksgiving moleben was then served.

Bishop Nicholas read aloud a greeting to Abbess Moisseia from Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad.

"We highly esteem your dedication and love to the Russian Church Abroad, and the manifold aid you provided over the course of your lengthy and fervent service as rectress of Holy Ascension Convent on the Mount of Olives and as assistant to the heads of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem," read the greeting. "We are grateful to you for the exceptional labors you undertook throughout complicated periods in the history of our Church. We would especially like to mention your Christian wisdom, experience, and hard work, which served as a seedling for the fruitful work of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission. When he was still alive, the ever-memorable Metropolitan Laurus – consecrated to the episcopate 50 years ago – already spoke of these qualities you had exhibited." Metropolitan Hilarion wished Abbess Moisseia many and long years of life, strength of soul and body, Heavenly aid, and God’s blessing.

After the monastic meal, Nun Barbara (Novikova), appointed acting rectress of Holy Ascension Convent on the Mount of Olives by the Council of Bishops this past June, held a reception in honor of Bishop Nicholas, the pilgrims accompanying him, and Abbess Moisseia. Fr. Roman, along with pilgrims Archpriests Stefan Pavlenko and Serafim Gan, addressed warm words of greeting and well-wishes to the abbess. The clergy and pilgrims offered up thanks to the Lord for the concluding fruitful pilgrimage, which had been dedicated to the memory of Metropolitan Laurus.